-I was very bored
-Interesting plot; but I don’t think it was executed well
-Couldn’t connect with the characters

This story is a fun read for anyone who likes magic, fantastical worlds and finds themselves wondering what it means to belong somewhere. The plot of the story moves along at a great pace and the story overall didnt feel slow. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a weekend read where you will be transported to another magical land.

I have no feedback to give as I never got a chance to read this book. It archived just a few days after I got it

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for a copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I am such a sucker for retellings, and retellings of Shakespeare are some of my favorites (outside of fairytales). The tagline for this book is "Forbidden magic, a family secret, and a night to reveal it all..." and it seems like there are a few different reviews that state it is a reimagining of The Tempest. While I am not as familiar with the ins and outs of Tempest, from what I do know about it, this book does follow a lot of the beats really closely.

I did enjoy this book, but it was not, in my opinion, a happy book. I don't consider Tempest to be one of the tragedies, and I think it is classified as a romance? it was one of his comedies, but I have also seen it classified as a tragicomedy, but this book read as a complete tragedy to me. I don't know if that is just what I consider to be tragic things, and not what the literary definition of tragedy is, but there was just sadness, and eventual death, this whole book. I kept waiting for some of the romance between some of the main characters but it just wasn't happening. This was written incredibly well, filled with details & magic, really bringing you into the story, but there was just a lot of information all at once. This is stuffed with details so it can be hard to follow if you aren't giving it 110% of your attention.

If you want a magical book that has Tempest vibes, but are willing to have a sadder/darker version, this is a fantastic book. If you want more of the romantic & magical vibes, I don't know if this is quite it.

I’m not the biggest fantasy fan but this book is perfect for YA romance lovers!

One of the cutest books of 2022!

I think that this book had great potential but it didn't quite make the cutoff for me.
There was a few aspects of the book that I just didn't enjoy the book too much and it was almost something that I was disappointed by. I loved the idea of the book but sadly didn't reach what I wanted.

2.5 stars for an interesting but ultimately somewhat disappointing read!

Bright Ruined Things caught my attention by flaunting so many things I typically adore in fantasy stories: forbidden magic, secluded locations, secrets galore and a Gatsby-esque vibe to top things off. Sadly, all of these components didn't really come together to make an compelling story.

The romance ultimately only watered down the story, and I honestly didn't care for either the love interest nor what little chemistry they had between the two of them. I actually think that Mae's dynamics with other characters on the island are far more interesting and worthy of exploration, but that sadly didn't happen. Ultimately, there was just too much going on here for any one part of the story to be fleshed out in a satisfying way, making all of them fall short. The romance wasn't incredibly engaging, the atmosphere suffered for it, and the magical island felt underdeveloped.

While I did enjoy the atmosphere and ultimately didn't have a bad time reading this book, it just felt quite lukewarm to me. I am, however, interested to see further work of the author, since this book definitely holds promise of something more.

Honestly, this book was an overall nice, fun time. I ended up listening to the audiobook while working on some chores and misc work, and it was the perfect companion to keep my brain distracted! I think I ended up listening to this in almost a single day, it was just the perfect level of engrossing and was exactly what I needed to be, even if it won’t make any of my favorite lists!

I feel like this book got the pacing down really well, because we start at an interesting point in the story that still gives us enough time to get our bearings before the intrigue really starts picking up. Over time, secrets begin to unravel faster and faster, and it really felt like such a steady and comfortable increase that I really have to commend it! I also absolutely loved that this whole book takes place over the course of a single day. It made the story even more interesting, narratively, and it goes to show just how much can change in the span of 24 hours. It also actually managed to feel like a whole day, and was the exactly right amount of events (and again, paced perfectly!) to make it feel realistic.

I also found the plot quite intriguing (though my only experience with The Tempest so far was a single, messy reenactment in my Shakespeare class, where I honestly hadn’t the slightest what was actually going on because I was too stressed over what I had to act out next). It proves that this book stands on its own beyond its basis as a retelling, and I always really appreciate when a story is strong beyond the original tale it draws its inspiration from!

Overall, I found myself quickly enthralled and invested in these characters, and I genuinely really enjoyed the time spent with this story! I have another of this author’s books to read, so I think I’ll get to that real soon, after how much I liked this.

This book is amazing! I adored the way the history was told from the character's perspective. It's a unique. It realy has a beautiful writing. I can't wait to read more works of this author.

2.5 stars

Mae lives on a magical island with the Prosper family. As their ward, Mae is on the outside and dreams of being able to learn magic like Ivo the Prosper heir.
Every year the Prospers host a party called First Night where people from the mainland come to the island to celebrate the anniversary of Lord Prosper producing aether using the island's indigenous spirits.
The First Night also means that Mae's best friend, Coco, will be returning to the island, as well as Miles, Mae's crush.
However, things start to unravel when the spirits begin to die,
What is happening to the spirits?
Will Mae be able to to stay on the island now that she is eighteen?

Mae was a mixed protagonist for me - I felt sorry for her with how she was mostly forgotten by the Prospers while most of them went off to the mainland during term time. I liked Mae's character development, but I didn't really connect with her and wasn't invested in what happened to her.
None of the characters really stood out for me, except maybe Ivo, who I would like to find out more about.
The setting of the island was interesting.
The plot was mixed for me - I found some of it to be predictable, but it also surprised me. However, I wasn't gripped.
The writing style took me a little while to get into, but it was easy to follow.
I'm disappeared that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an early review.

The Tempest is one of my favorite Shakespearean plays. I was curious to see how this would be retold in the 1920s. While this story is well-written, it lacked the charm of the original. The characters do not seem like their Shakespearean counterparts. Still, I recommend this for fans of Shakespeare!

What a bizarre retelling of the Tempest…I loved it! A family of magic Weil sees whose power is built on mystery. It turns out their strength comes at a price, and it’s not one that seems to be worth it. Our main characters struggle with the truth of their secret island and their family’s deceit, and work together to change things for the better. Part retelling, part witchy tale and part ghost story, the moving pieces all come together to tell a grisly truth and change things for this magic controlling family

Bright Ruined Things is a glimpse into the sparkly world of the Ultra-Rich and those that have power. Mae has grown up with the Prospers for most of her life. She feels like family and for the most part, they treat her like family. Until the wedding comes and every lie and truth is revealed. The 24-hour duration of the book places a ticking time bomb on the reader from the start, making the read fast and page-turning. Yet with the stage set for an exciting read, the short duration does not allow for depth or growth of the characters, especially the protagonist. Everything seemed overly rushed and superficial. This is also compounded by the fact that the cast is fairly large and can often be hard to keep track of.

Bright Ruined Things is a retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest set in the 1920'.
What sounds like a great premise, unfortunately left me a little disappointed. I liked the cast of characters, but never really believed they were authentic in the 1920 setting. It almost felt like cos-play to me. I think I wanted a more immersive experience in that regard.
The pacing was great and the tension was well maintained. Overall I felt like this book might have made a better screenplay to adapt into what surely would make for a delightful film, which I would be absolutely interested in seeing!

What's better than a stunning Shakespeare retelling? One that manages to deftly place a familiar story in a completely new time. Bright Ruined Things is a fantastic adaptation of the Tempest for both fans of the bard and those who don't know him at all.

*Arc provided by Wednesday Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review."

The premise is that Mae lives on an island with this family that is insanely wealthy and harnesses the islands magic to produce a very lucrative fuel source for the world. The catch, the island is full of spirits and they're dying. With everyone in the family making their way back for a huge party nothing, but drama ensues.

Bright Ruined Things is billed as a retelling of The Tempest. I personally haven't read that Shakespeare play so I couldn't tell you if it does it justice or not. I initially requested this because the cover gave me Great Gatsby vibes and it said there was magic.

Overall,, the book fit the description it was just a bit slow paced for me.

An interesting story that had more potential. I like fantasy and the creativity it brings. This was a story that could have had more depth. There are multiple characters and you don't ever get a chance to really understand their motivations for their choices. I felt the story theme was one that was done a hundreds times: power taken from others and then the origin suppressed and covered up. It was slow in the first half and tried to build a romance into but failed. I'm not sure I would be excited to recommend this book but for most they would find the story platable.

Mae has lived on the island the Prospers oversee for as long as she can remember. But now she’s 18, and the Prospers’ obligation to her father has expired, she knows her time is running out, and she may never get a taste of the magic that keeps the island prospering. (Ha.) But tonight is First Night, the yearly celebration of the anniversary of the Prospers discovery of the island and the spirits that inhabit it. But Mae is about to realize that the magic she’s always craved may not be the gift that it seems, and this First Night may just be the last.

I didn’t know what to expect from this read but it’s not at all what I was given. If the cover wasn’t clearly 1920s vibes I wouldn’t know that there was a specific time period to this story at all. It’s a very loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, though more inspired by the Bard’s tale than based on; there are plays on names and the magical elements can find their origin in the play, but that’s about how closely linked it gets.

Mae might be the most pitiful protagonist I’ve ever read. Even odder, she’s very aware of the fact that she’s pitiful but does nothing to change except in very specific moments – that were honestly my favorite of hers – that were so out of character and even more fleeting, that it’s almost as if they didn’t happen.

The romance aspect was very confusing. Mae’s childhood crush clearly doesn’t feel the same way she does, but gives in to her wishes, which leaves a very one-sided relationship and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The surprise romantic interest is hinted at and never resolved or given any time to live and breathe before it is abruptly cut off. I’d say I appreciate that Mae doesn’t end up with any one person but the epilogue hints that she does – though the book ends before we get to see any of it.

Something about this book leaves me so completely unsatisfied that it angers me. There are no consequences for actions that are decently despicable, the little character growth that there is feels unearned and unrealistic, and we’re told there’s more to this story but aren’t allowed to see it unfold.

Trigger warning: bullying, neglect, threats of sexual violence, abuse, imprisonment, kidnapping, trauma, fire, death, enslavement, gaslighting, toxic relationships.

Instantly gripping and well written. Fantastic storytelling. I couldn't stop thinking about it and tbh I'm not sure I can even now that it's over.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.